The invention concerns the support or stop for one of the pair of cymbals of a high-hat cymbal.
A high-hat cymbal has a pair of cymbals, including a bottom cymbal, which is usually supported stationary on a cymbal stand, and a top cymbal, supported on a support rod and movable to strike against the stationary bottom cymbal. The support rod which moves the cymbal is connected with a foot pedal that is operated by the performer. The support for the movable cymbal is required to hold the cymbal to the longitudinally movable cymbal operating rod. At the rod, the cymbal passes through a felt ring, and the felt ring wraps around a hollow bolt which defines the main body of the support or stop. A longitudinal hole through the bolt receives the cymbal support rod through it, and a clamping screw passes through the side of the bolt to press the rod securely against the surrounding wall of the hole through the bolt. Both above and below the felt ring on the hollow bolt, locking nuts are provided, which secure the felt ring in place and lock the cymbal supported in the felt ring to the bolt, and through the bolt, lock the bolt to the clamping screw and through the clamping screw to the longitudinally movable cymbal support rod, whereby there is a secure connection between the cymbal and its longitudinally movable support rod.
As the foot pedal is operated to move the longitudinally movable rod up and down, the upper cymbal, supported on the rod repeatedly strikes the lower cymbal, supported on a stand. The support for the upper, movable cymbal on the rod receives the impact load each time the cymbals strike one another. Also, there is continued vibration of the cymbal after each striking sound, and the vibration continues for a comparatively long period of time after the initial striking sound is made. This tends to loosen both the holding nut at the bottom of the bolt and the clamping screw clamping the support rod in the bolt. As a result, the supported cymbal may become loosened, and in any event it may shake, and its position along the rod may shift during the course of the performance. One solution to this problem has been providing the holding nut at the bottom of the bolt with an incomplete thread, so that is bites securely into the threaded bolt and loosening of the nut is thereby prevented. However, after long use, shaking of this nut still develops, and the result has not been satisfactory.